Teancom is the most mild child you can think of. He's sweet and calm, and he always has been. He's the child that stays by my side at the grocery store, and puts down the toy just cause I asked him to. The child that never needs a spanking cause he never does anything wrong. The child who just wants to make you happy, and spends his days smiling and laughing and hugging you. He is the definition of Delightful.
But he does have emotions, and it's fun to watch him develop them. He started, for instance, when he was first learning to talk, by saying, "Hey!" in a very offended way when you would do something he didn't like. And he'd scowl at you. He'd just be over it in like 2 seconds, and then he'd be back to his normal, suck-on-my-fingers-for-comfort, happy self.
His new development in emotions is: "I'm mad!"
We were at a park with friends, taking a walk. We were about to set out on that walk when I realized Teancom wasn't moving with us. I turned and he was sitting on a ground light, crossing his arms and looking quite upset. I said, "Teancom, are you coming?" He looked at me, scowling, and said, "No! I'm mad!" Oh. "Are you sure?" I said. "It's going to be a lot of fun!" And again he said, "I'm mad! I sitting on this rock!"
So I walked over to my little boy, sitting on "this rock", ready to have a deep discussion about emotions. I wish I had a camera to capture that moment, it was so cute. This little boy, all alone and mad.
I squatted down and said, "What's wrong?" Kids must get tired of parents, really, cause he repeated, "I'm mad." Duh, Mom. "I know your mad, Teancom, but why?" He explained to me that his friend had pushed him, so he was mad. "Do you think he pushed you on purpose?" "No!" Teancom said with that same angry intensity. "Then, why again are you mad," is what I was thinking to myself. I changed tactics. "Okay, well, we're going to go for a walk. Do you want to come with us?" "No," he answered. "I sitting on this rock." I went into a discourse about how even if we're mad, it's silly to miss out on things that are fun. You know, a nice "grow up" discussion. He took it well, of course. You know, since he's two and a half years old. Actually, because Teancom is so still, he listens really well, and seems to understand a lot more than you'd think for someone so little. So even though the conversation was a little deep, I got the feeling, as I always do, that he understood.
He was still mad, though. So I said, "Tell you what. How about I carry you and when you're not so mad any more, then you can join the walk." Still scowling he said, "Okay," really huffy-like, and let me pick him up.
First step accomplished.
After we'd walked maybe 50 feet I went on to Step Two. "Teancom, everyone else is playing over there! Do you want to play with them?" "No!" "Okay, you don't have to." After another 20 feet or so I pointed out some pretty leaves on the ground. "Do you want to play with those?" "Yeah!" And with that he was out of my arms and happy again. No further mention of the rock or being mad or anything.
... I wonder, though, if we're in for a brooding teenager when Teancom hits those years. I guess eventually we'll find out.
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